Description
Lacquered wooden tray in the “Arte Povera” style. Turin, 18th century.
A rare and fascinating decorative polychrome wooden plate, a remarkable example of the 18th-century Piedmontese lacquer tradition, or “arte povera,” a decorative technique that was particularly popular in Piedmont as an economical alternative to expensive oriental lacquers.
The plate features a complex decorative composition organized across multiple concentric registers. At the center, within a circle framed by a gold border, is a bucolic landscape with lush trees and a path. In the middle band, against a vermilion red background, four large polylobed cartouches enclose views of fantastical architecture and architectural capricci against a turquoise background. Among these are monumental bridges with statues and obelisks, always enriched with naturalistic elements.
The work is made using the “lacca povera” or “arte povera” technique, a process that involved applying hand-colored engraved prints to a wooden support and then protecting them with layers of transparent varnish to imitate the effect of oriental lacquers. The technique was particularly widespread in Turin and Piedmontese cities during the 18th century.
